1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-theft device in a motorcycle. More particularly, the invention relates to an anti-theft device of a type that locks by a locking mechanism for preventing theft, and is normally released by a locking release signal from a remote control, but wherein locking can be manually released in an emergency while still maintaining desirable aspects of theft protection.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A vehicular anti-theft device in which the locking of a handlebar and a seat is controlled by receiving a control signal transmitted by a remote control from outside of a vehicle and discriminating the control signal is known.
For example, Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 2001-278155 discloses an anti-theft device of a motorcycle which is provided with a G locking device (a shutter-type anti-theft device) that covers a key hole of a key cylinder into which an ignition key for starting an engine is to be inserted and a seat locking device for locking a seat in a closed state. The device controls a control unit according to a G locking release signal or a seat locking release signal transmitted from a remote control, which drives a drive unit by the control unit and which releases G locking and seat locking.
According to such known anti-theft device, as the engine cannot be started and the seat cannot be opened without the remote control, the theft of the vehicle and/or an object housed in a housing box beneath the seat can be prevented.
However, in the anti-theft device disclosed in Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 2001-278155, when the remote control is forgotten or misplaced, and when the drive unit including an actuator does not respond to a locking release signal from the remote control because of any cause, the G locking and the seat locking cannot be released at all.
In emergency even at such time, it is desired that a user be able to suitably manually release the locking devices. However, where anyone can easily release the locking devices from outside the vehicle, theft protection may be deteriorated.
Although the known devices have some utility for their intended purposes, a need still exists in the art for an improved motorcycle anti-theft device. In particular, there is still a need for an improved motorcycle anti-theft device with remote control.